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Saturday, January 02, 2016

2015 IN REVIEW: The Year In Television

I
hope that the first day of 2016 was good to you, and I hope that you're ready
to make the rest of the year a great one!
Keep in mind that it's a leap year this year, so you have an extra day
to make it awesome!

Of
course, we still have a little bit of stuff to talk about regarding the year
that just ended a couple of days ago.

For
instance, this is the day that I plan to talk about all of the great television that aired during 2015. And
while online services like Netflix, Hulu, Shomi, and Crave TV are gaining in
popularity, you can't dismiss the standards that air on the four major
networks.

There's
a lot to discuss, so why don't we start by taking a look at the list of
television shows that ended their runs in 2015. There's quite a long list of them.

Of
all of these shows, the clearest loser in this is NBC, the network that is no
longer Must See TV. Most of the
network's new shows didn't even last a full season before being canned! Even The CW has a better track record! Clearly, people weren't happy with "One
Big Happy", the best time ever was NOT with Neil Patrick Harris, and I
don't even think I can explain how "Bad Judge" was even greenlit. It's a good thing NBC still has
"Hollywood Game Night", "The Voice", and "Heroes: Reborn", or else it
would be completely screwed!

Though,
"Parenthood" and "Parks and Recreation" had been on for
quite some time, so we'll give them a pass.

It
was also the year that a lot of long running shows said their goodbyes. CSI wrapped up a fifteen year run with a two
hour television movie. "America's
Next Top Model" crowned its first (and I guess only) deaf winner in
26-year-old Nyle DiMarco. "Two and
a Half Men" ended their series in what could be considered one of the most
bizarre series finales ever created.
"Mad Men", on the flipside, had a finale that was completely
satisfying and wonderful. And while we
still have to wait to see this play out here in North America, the UK aired the
final episode of "Downton Abbey" on Christmas Day.

The
late night landscape took a few hits as David Letterman retired from hosting
the Late Show with David Letterman, and Jon Stewart stepped down from hosting
The Daily Show. But Stephen Colbert and
Trevor Noah have proven that they have the chops to keep the show going. I only wish Joel McHale had a way to keep
"The Soup" going. That show
is really the only reason I ever watch "E!".

At
least we have James Corden and his Carpool Karaoke to keep us entertained.

Now,
let's chat about some of the shows that debuted in 2015 and are getting a lot
of people talking.

People
are talking about "Empire" - the FOX show that stars Terrence Howard
and Taraji P. Henson and is about the struggles within a hip hop record
company. The show debuted last January
and is one of the more successful shows of the year.

CSI
is determined not to let its brand die, and the fourth spinoff series
"CSI: Cyber" debuted in February 2015. But already the show has had some retooling. Out was Peter MacNicol and in went Ted
Danson who reprised the role he played on the original CSI series. Time will tell if the decision was a good
one.

Netflix
is fast becoming a powerhouse in the television industry. They've already had hits with "Orange
is the New Black" and "House of Cards", and in 2015, they added
"Sense8", "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt",
"Bloodlines" and "Narcos" to their program line-up.

Plus, the network already has people
salivating over the "Fuller House" series, set to debut on February
26, 2016. Definitely a good reason to
"Netflix & Chill" this past year!

As
if we needed any more Kardashians to clog up the airwaves, "I Am
Cait" debuted in the summer of 2015.
At first, I admit that the show - which featured the former Bruce Jenner
trying to figure life out as Caitlyn - was an interesting piece...but then as
she made the show all about herself and less about the transgendered community,
it got real old, real fast. If you want
to watch a decent show about transgendered people, might I recommend
"Transparent" starring Jeffrey Tambor. It's scripted, yet somehow more believable.

Proving
that zombies aren't quite dead yet, The CW debuted "iZombie" in
March. New Zealander Rose McIver shines
as Liv, a woman who is not quite alive, not quite dead, who uses the brains of
murder victims to solve crimes. It
sounds unbelievable, but it's strangely captivating. On a related note, have you ever wondered what life was like
before "The Walking Dead"?
Well AMC made a prequel series entitled "Fear The Walking
Dead", depicting how society collapsed as the zombie outbreak
increased. Some say it's not as good as
the parent series, but still...it's worth watching.

SPIKE
TV is the site of one of the surprise breakout hits in a show entitled
"Lip Sync Battle". Hosted by
LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen, celebrities go head to head against each other
lip synching to popular hits in costume.
The first season debuted in April, and season two is set to debut next
week! Who knows what the latest
television trends will bring, huh?

I
certainly hope the Sharknado obsession has finally dried up. The third movie was even more terrible than
ever...and that's NOT a good thing.

Finally,
when it comes to network television, this season could be potentially one of
the stronger ones to date. Good reviews
have been issued for "Limitless", "Code Black",
"Quantico", "Scream Queens", "Blindspot",
"Life In Pieces", and "The Muppets", and I can safely say
that at least half of these shows will likely still be on the air before 2016
wraps up.

And
yes...people are still obsessed with "Game of Thrones". In other news, the sky is still blue.

Now,
let's have a look at some of the people who have won some of the various
reality shows that have aired this past year.
I already revealed the winner of "America's Next Top Model",
but here are some others.

First
off, congratulations to the soap opera "Days of our Lives" for
celebrating fifty years on the air. The
show, which debuted in November 1965, has seen several storylines involving
births, deaths, teen issues, and even a devil possession! But after years of declining ratings, DAYS
has seemed to hit their stride once more and is still chugging along. Congratulations!

Overseas,
I also want to extend a happy belated 30th birthday to "EastEnders"
and "Neighbours". Both series
debuted in 1985 and both were still strong ratings winners in 2015!

And while we're across the pond, a happy
20th birthday to "Hollyoaks" as well!

A
hearty congratulations also go out to "The Young and the Restless"
for celebrating its twenty-seventh consecutive year as the most watched daytime
drama!That news would even make Victor
Newman melt with pride!